Inspired 4 Life: A Day That Truly Blew My Mind

Who inspired you?

This question bounced around my brain all day last Tuesday, as I was one of over 600 people who attended United Way's Inspire 4 Life Conference, a full day of workshops that focused on issues impacting youth in our community and a variety of approaches to address those issues. It was a day filled with learning on a wide variety of topics ranging from the practical, such as engaging families, engaging youth in career exploration, bridging the divide between schools and after-school programs to the more theoretical and technical such as applying brain science to adolescent development. It was this last session that seemed to leave one of the biggest impressions.

The presenter, a clinical psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist (say that five times fast!) named Dr. Margaret Sheridan from Children's Hospital Boston, walked participants through what happens in the brain during adolescence. In the last decade, scientists have discovered that there is a second critical period of brain development in addition to the development which happens in the first 3 years of life, this taking place during adolescence. Essentially, at this point in development the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that provides impulse control, emotional control and allows for perceptiveness and planning for long term goals is developing rapidly. In addition to this portion of the brain’s development, Dr. Sheridan also informed the group that there is much more activity in the what are called reward centers of the brain and much less activity in the control centers during this period, which could be one explanation for the risk taking behaviors that many teenagers engage in. What I thought was particularly fascinating is that there is a unique opportunity during this particular period in brain development to build on the stage youth are in to help them become more prepared for the future. By making activities fun and engaging we can capitalize on the fact that the teenage brain is primed to respond to things it deems rewarding, and can then use that engagement to help youth learn to control emotions, to limit impulsiveness and to understand how to work towards a long term goal. Even more, Dr. Sheridan made the point that in many cases youth are already utilizing these skills and abilities in different arena’s in their lives and it is our role and responsibility as adults to help them make the connection, for example, that the same discipline applied to a team sport can be applied to school for an equally successful result.

Okay, so it is clear the Psychology major in me couldn’t get enough of the brain science stuff. However, it was the last hour and a half of the day that I enjoyed most of all. During the last session attendees were given the opportunity to observe and in many cases participate in demonstration projects led by youth. In my session, a small group of adults worked with a teen from the Community Art Center’s Teen Media program to create a public service announcement about the issue of teen pregnancy. Putting myself in the shoes of a teenager experiencing the activity was remarkable. It made me think about everything a young person could and would likely learn, from the technical skill of using a camera to the interpersonal skills required to work as a team in order come up with a usable product. But even more than all the content, the day was an important reminder about how many others in our region are passionately committed to doing whatever is necessary to inspire youth for a lifetime of success. The World Trade Center was filled to the brim with everyone from youth service providers, to funders, and public officials who showed their commitment (in some cases by signature) to this very important cause. The big take-away? Whether we recognize it or not, we all have a part to play in inspiring ALL youth for a lifetime of success.

 And one final thought. When I was a little girl, my father told me that anything worth doing was worth doing right. This simple sentiment inspired me to push myself and achieve things I never thought were possible. Today take a moment to stop and think about who inspired you. And more importantly, think about how you will return the favor and inspire someone else. Leave a comment below to tell me who inspired you.